Device, Computer Program Product and Method for Providing Touch Control of a Video Conference

1. A remote control device comprising: a touch screen display; a processor communicatively connected to the touch screen display; and a non-transitory computer readable memory having instructions that when executed by said processor configure the processor to: establish a communication link with at least one remote video conferencing endpoint having a camera and receive an endpoint ID from the at least one remote video conferencing endpoint; generate at least one graphical object in response to receiving the endpoint ID; display on the touch screen display a graphical user interface having the at least one graphical object as part of a videoconference scene used to control at least one setting on the camera; receive touch data in response to an external input applied to a portion of the touch screen display on which the at least one graphical object is displayed and associate said touch data with a camera control instruction; and send to the remote video conferencing endpoint the camera control instruction to remotely control the camera.

2. The remote control device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one graphical object comprises a video stream image from the camera at the at least one remote video conferencing endpoint.

3. The remote control device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a CODEC, said CODEC including a video converter that receives streams of conference video from at least two endpoints, processes said streams, and outputs a corresponding set of video streams with reduced resolution and/or frame rate, wherein said processor is configured to receive said set of video streams and display said streams of conference video in said graphical user interface.

4. The remote control device according to claim 1 , wherein said processor is further configured to: generate a separate control area of the graphical user interface that includes a joystick icon; and designate the camera control instruction based on a position and distance of the joystick icon relative to an initial default position.

5. The remote control device according to claim 1 , wherein said processor is further configured to: designate camera control instructions based on finger gestures as said external input applied to said touch screen display over the at least one graphical object.

6. The remote control device according to claim 1 , wherein said camera control instruction includes at least one of a zoom-in camera control instruction and a zoom-out camera control instruction generated in response to a pinch-in or pinch-out gesture respectively applied on said touch screen.

7. The remote control device according to claim 1 , wherein said camera control instruction includes designating a move up and/or down and/or left and/or right camera control instruction for a touch and drag gesture applied on said touch screen in an up and/or down and/or left and/or right direction.

8. The remote control device according to claim 7 , wherein the camera control instruction includes respectively designating a zoom-in camera control instruction or a zoom-out camera control instruction for a pinch in gesture or pinch out gesture applied to said touch screen.

9. The remote control device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a face detector that localizes faces in a video conference stream, wherein said processor is further configured to generate camera control instructions to zoom-in on a participant identifiable via said graphical user interface and touch screen display, based on the touch data and said at least one face localized by said face detector.

10. A method for remotely controlling a camera at a remote video conference endpoint, said method comprising: establishing a communication link between a local video conference endpoint and said remote video conference endpoint; receiving an endpoint ID from the at least one remote video conferencing endpoint; generating at least one graphical object in response to receiving the endpoint ID; generating with a processor a graphical user interface on a touch screen display of the local video conference endpoint, said graphical user interface including the at least one graphical object as part of a videoconference scene used to control at least one setting on the camera; receiving touch data in response to an external input applied to a portion of the touch screen display on which the at least one graphical object is displayed and associating said touch data with a camera control instruction; and sending the camera control instruction to the remote video conferencing endpoint to remotely control the camera.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one graphical object comprises a video stream image from the camera at the remote video conferencing endpoint.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising: receiving at a CODEC of the local video conferencing endpoint streams of conference video from one or more endpoints; processing said streams; outputting a corresponding set of video streams with reduced resolution and/or frame rate; and sending said set of video streams to said touch screen display and displaying the video streams in said graphical user interface.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said generating step further comprises: generating an image of a joystick icon in a separate control area; and designating the camera control instruction based on a position and distance of the joystick icon relative to an initial default position.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said associating step comprises: designating camera control instructions based on finger gestures as said external input applied to said touch screen display over the at least one graphical object.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said camera control instruction includes at least one of a zoom-in camera control instruction and a zoom-out camera control instruction generated in response to a pinch-in or pinch-out gesture respectively applied on said touch screen.

16. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said camera control instruction includes designating a move up and/or down and/or left and/or right camera control instruction for a touch and drag gesture applied on said touch screen in an up and/or down and/or left and/or right direction.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the camera control instruction includes respectively designating a zoom-in camera control instruction or a zoom-out camera control instruction for a pinch in gesture or pinch out gesture applied to said touch screen.

18. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising: localizing a face in a video stream from said camera; and generating a camera instruction to zoom-in on a participant identifiable via said graphical user interface based on the touch data and said at least one face designated in said localizing step.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions that when executed by a processor remotely control a camera at a remote video conference endpoint, comprising: establishing a communication link between a local video conference endpoint and said remote video conference endpoint; receiving an endpoint ID from the at least one remote video conferencing endpoint; generating at least one graphical object in response to receiving the endpoint ID; generating with a processor a graphical user interface on a touch screen display of the local video conference endpoint, said graphical user interface including the at least one graphical object as part of a videoconference scene used to control at least one setting on the camera; receiving touch data in response to an external input applied to a portion of the touch screen display on which the at least one graphical object is displayed and associating said touch data with a camera control instruction; and sending the camera control instruction to the remote video conferencing endpoint to remotely control the camera.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein said associating step comprises: designating camera control instructions based on finger gestures as said external input applied to said touch screen display over the at least one graphical object.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein said camera control instruction includes at least one of a zoom-in camera control instruction and a zoom-out camera control instruction generated in response to a pinch-in or pinch-out gesture respectively applied on said touch screen.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein said camera control instruction includes designating a move up and/or down and/or left and/or right camera control instruction for a touch and drag gesture applied on said touch screen in an up and/or down and/or left and/or right direction.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the camera control instruction includes respectively designating a zoom-in camera control instruction or a zoom-out camera control instruction for a pinch in gesture or pinch out gesture applied to said touch screen.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising: localizing a face in a video stream from said camera; and generating a camera instruction to zoom-in on a participant identifiable via said graphical user interface based on the touch data and said at least one face designated in said localizing step.